Then these last few years, the night has lost some of its luster. I got too old to go trick-or-treating and dress up. Halloween parties were boring. So instead these nights were spent studying history instead of Twix bars.
But now, for the first time in a while, I’m excited for October’s final day. And this actually has nothing to do with massive amounts of sugar. It’s due to the opening day of the 2006-07 NBA season. Remember how last season ended? The playoffs had so many series that in most years would be obvious for top billing. Lakers-Suns, Cavs-Wizards, Mavs-Spurs, Clippers-Suns, Pistons-Cavs, they all were instant classics. Then the Finals were the best we’ve seen since Jordan retired. Dirk’s transition from star to super-star. Pat Riley cementing his place on the Mt. Rushmore of coaches. And of course D-Wade taking the first lap in his race with LeBron to be best player of this generation. So to commemorate the association’s 60th season, I will hand out some awards to the players, coaches and teams that most deserve them, followed by some predictions.
The Vin Baker ‘This is it for me’ award:
Yes, the title of this award could symbolize many things, from player most likely to be caught driving drunk or the guy who will be worse after being traded. In this case though, it’s for a guy who is approaching the last good year of his career. The namesake of this trophy, Mr. Baker, averaged 21 points and 10.3 rebounds in 1997 while making the All-Star team and third team All-NBA. But for the remainder of his career (Which surprisingly is still active) Baker never reached those numbers again and now is lucky to get on the floor for more then two minutes a game.
So for this year’s winner, I could have gone in many directions. Shaq would be an obvious choice, but I think he still has a couple of solid years left in him. Steve Nash could be a dark horse, since he spends so much time running and moving he is due to eventually hit that bump where he just is so fatigued that he can’t do it anymore. But my winner is a man who I have a great amount of respect for. I rocked his jersey in third grade and his shoes in seventh grade. I graduated from middle school the night he shocked the Lakers in game one of the ’01 Finals. I’m speaking about Allen Iverson. Yes, he did average 33 points a game last year. But the little guy takes so much physical abuse on the court every day; it is tough to see him keeping it going for much longer. And remember, he’s already played in the league for ten seasons. Plus the way the 76ers look this season, it doesn’t look like he’ll have much help this season. Look for one more good year from the Answer before he falls off.
The Chris Paul ‘Should have took me when you had the chance’ award:
Bill Simmons, the great ESPN.COM columnist, always says that teams should have a Vice President of Common Sense, a person who looks over a teams front office just to make sure they don’t do anything dumb. (See Houston Texans selecting Mario Williams over Reggie Bush) One of these VP’s could have been helpful last season for the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks, who already had forwards Josh Smith, Josh Childress, Al Harrington and Joe Johnson on their roster, selected UNC forward Marvin Williams with the second pick in the draft instead of Wake Forest point guard Chris Paul, who actually played a position that Atlanta needed help in. Of course CP-3 went on to win Rookie of the Year unanimously while the Hawks are still waiting on Marvin’s potential. This type of thing happens every year, but it seems like teams never learn from their mistakes.
So who is this year’s rookie that all the teams wished they had selected? I kind of want to pick my man Dee Brown of the Utah Jazz, who I think will be a great pro player, but that would look too much like a homer pick. Or I could have picked Portland Trail Blazer Brandon Roy, who is the consensus pick for Rookie of the Year. But that would have been way too easy. So instead I’m going with former Villanova guard Randy Foye, who was a scoring machine last year with the Wildcats. Now a Minnesota T-Wolf, Foye should have plenty of room to drive the lane and shoot from the outside with Kevin Garnett hogging the majority of defenders. Plus as Iverson has proved, it is not easy stopping a fast little guy with a great jumper. Foye should put up big numbers and make the six teams that passed him over feel silly. (Including Atlanta…. again)
The Steve Nash ‘Moving never felt so good’ award:
Remember when the Canadian point guard was a Dallas Maverick? He was a solid player, the third option on a team who always got bounced in the first round of the playoffs. I mean, when you thought about the Mavs of the early 2000’s, you would say goal number one was stop Michael Finley, then number two would be contain Dirk. It wasn’t ‘We have to make sure Nash doesn’t drop 18 points and 11 assists.’ But then he moved to Phoenix and became the second coming of Pistol Pete Maravich. Back to back MVP’s, two trips to the Western Conference Finals, and now in the discussion for the best player in the league. So was it just a change of scenery that elevated Nash’s game? Better surrounding players? A system that fit his game more? It was probably a combination of all those things. So who will be 2007’s guy who switches teams and breaks out from solid pro to star? (Note that last year’s winner was also a Phoenix Sun, Boris Diaw)
My pick for the Nash award is Houston Rockets forward Shane Battier, the ultimate third option. When teams are focusing on T-Mac and Yao, I think it will be Battier who pushes the Rockets into the playoffs. He is a tough player who reminds me of Scottie Pippen without the polished offensive game, and he loves to play defense and take charges. And his offense isn’t as bad as it was when he came out of Duke. If Battier can make half the impact that Nash had for the Suns, and if McGrady and Yao stay healthy, then Houston will be a contender in the West.
The Larry Brown ‘Perennial contender’ award:
Again, this award could symbolize a lot of things. No, it’s not for the coach who is most likely to quit at the end of the year. It’s for the man in the suit who will not be available for the next few April’s and May’s, because his squads are going to be perennial playoff teams. Remember, before he went crazy and decided to coach the Knicks, Brown was one of the league’s best coaches. Since 1990, when he came back from being a great college coach, Brown has made the post-season 14 times, with five different teams (Spurs, Clippers, Pacers, 76ers, and Pistons)
The winner of the Brown award hit to fit my three criteria. One, they had to have made the playoffs previously in their coaching career. Two, they had to be under the age of 50. And three, they had to have somebody on their team who was arguably in the top ten player discussion. This eliminated guys like Raptors coach Sam Mitchell (No experience), Suns head man Mike D’Antoni (Too old) and coach of my beloved Bulls, Scott Skiles (No top ten guys). A couple of coaches got check marks on all three criteria, but one stood out among the others. And that would be Dallas coach Avery Johnson. He has the experience, making last seasons Finals in his first full season as head-coach. He is young enough to relate to his players, having only retired from the league in 2004. And he has a big-time player in Dirk Nowitzki. Look for Avery’s slick suits and high-pitched voice to be at a playoff press conferences for many years to come.
The Los Angles Clippers ‘Ten year re-building project’ award:
Remember the good old days, when you could write in the Clips for a lottery ball as soon as the season tipped off. The days where you could trust Donald Sterling and Co. to draft a bum like Michael Olowokandi over Paul Pierce or Lorenzen Wright over Kobe Bryant. Ahhh, that was nice. But ever since the Bulls traded Elton Brand for Tyson the Toothpick Chandler, the Clippers haven’t been the same basement dwelling team. Last year, not only did they make the playoffs, they were a miracle Raja Bell three away from going to the Western Conference Finals. And this year, if Shaun Livingston lives up to his potential, the Clippers could cement themselves as LA’s best team. So who is the new team that will be the constant NBA punching bag?
You thought I would out-smart myself, didn’t you? Maybe give you an un-usual pick, something a bit out of the box. Nope. It’s got to be the New York Knicks. Stephon Maurbury, Steve Francis, Jalen Rose, Jamal Crawford. All good guards if you are trying to win the Rucker Park league. But in the NBA, it’s nice to have a point that will actually call plays for other people. Add in Eddy Curry’s large amount of unused skill, Nate Robinson’s lack of size and Quinten Richardson’s in-ability to play defense, and Isaiah Thomas better finish “Coaching Basketball For Dummies” in a hurry. And the great thing is, even if the Knicks stink up Madison Square Garden worse then circus elephants, there number one pick, AKA stud center Greg Oden, goes to the Bulls.
As for the real awards the NBA hands out, here’s how I see them going:
MVP---Kobe Bryant, LakersHe should have won it last season, but whose really paying attention. The new number 24 rested all summer, since he was one of the only top players who didn’t play for the national team. This will help him win his second strait scoring title, and it will help him that the Lakers will be better then expected.
Rookie of the Year---Adam Morrison, BobcatsThe white boy from the Northwest may not look like an assassin, but he can really drain it. Inside, outside, it doesn’t matter. Morrison can put the ball in the hoop from anywhere on the floor, and with a young point guard in Raymond Felton feeding him the rock, Morrison should get plenty of opportunities to fill up the stat sheet.
Most Improved Player---Yao Ming, Rockets
It’s strange to see a four-time all-star as the most improved player, but I think that this will be the season will Yao finally takes the baton from Shaq and becomes the next great center. Right now, he’s just a Chinese Rick Smits. By the end of the season, he’ll have people in Houston comparing him to Hakeem.
Defensive Player of the Year---Andrei Kirilenko, Jazz
AK-47 may not look like a big-time defensive stopper, but don’t let looks fool you. This guy can play some serious D. Last season he led the league in blocks with 220, and he added in 102 steals. This year the Jazz will be in more big-time games where their top player will be coming up with more important stops.
All NBA Team:
G-Kobe Bryant, Lakers
G-Dwayne Wade, Heat
F-LeBron James, Cavaliers
F-Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks
C-Yao Ming, Rockets
All-Rookie Team:
G-Randy Foye, Timberwolves
G-Dee Brown, Jazz
F-Adam Morrison, Bobcats
F-Steve Novak, Rockets
C-Patrick O’Bryant, Warriors
Eastern Conference Playoffs:
1-Miami Heat
2-Clevland Cavaliers
3-Chicago Bulls
4-New Jersey Nets
5-Detroit Pistons
6-Washington Wizards
7-Indiana Pacers
8-Orlando Magic
Eastern Conference Finals:
Cavaliers over Nets
Western Conference Playoffs:
1-Dallas Mavericks
2-Phoenix Suns
3-San Antonio Spurs
4-Houston Rockets
5-Los Angles Clippers
6-Utah Jazz
7-Los Angles Lakers
8-New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets
Western Conference Finals:
Suns over Rockets
NBA Finals:
LeBron versus Shawn Marion will be a great match up, but Cleveland has no one to stop Nash and Amare. Suns in six.
I will have my NFL picks posted on Saturday.
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